Wellness Tourism Through Holistic Rejuvenation Programs 

By Vipula Wanigasekera –

The Global Tourism Initiative defines wellness tourism as a travel movement ‘driven by the desire to maintain or improve one’s health, manage stress, and achieve a better work-life balance’. And therefore, it goes beyond traditional relaxation activities but focuses more on holistic well-being.

Wellness tourism also clears out ambiguity in categorizing certain activities such as Meditation, Yoga, Ayurveda, Pilates, SPA treatment, Medical treatments, and other relaxation movements like spiritual and nature tourism, all of which can be brought under the umbrella of Wellness.

The industry of wellness travel carries a bright future as per experts. Travelers are drawn to ancient wellness tenets today which promote holistic and natural approaches, self-healing, and preventive care that emphasize fitness, nutrition and spiritual practices.

Wellness tourism frequently incorporates ecological practices and promotes a connection with nature as it encompasses activities like forest bathing, nature hikes, bird watching, eco-tours, and living in harmony with nature.

Other activities such as hiking, biking, trekking, and some adventures can easily be placed under wellness although they are not explicitly mentioned that way but the inner motivation may well be wellness driven.

Recent years even before Covid period, have seen a significant increase in wellness travel. The potential for wellness tourism is expected to increase as more and more tourists place a high priority on their overall health.

UNWTO has already conducted research, organized conferences, and collaborated with stakeholders to promote wellness tourism as a viable sector within the broader tourism industry. 

Other International organisations dedicated to supporting and promoting the wellness tourism sector include the Global Wellness Initiative (GWI) and the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA). Most recently, European Union funded TOT workshops in Colombo involving stakeholders connected to Wellness tourism.

Wellness tourism (including domestic and regional travel) was a $720 billion market in 2019 and then fell to $436 billion in 2020 for obvious reasons. GWI now projects that wellness tourism will grow rapidly in the coming years +20.9% annually with the market reaching $1.1 trillion in 2025.

GWI Statistics further show some intriguing figures.

World travelers made over 600 million international and domestic wellness trips in 2020, down from 936 million trips in 2019.

International wellness tourists spend over 35% more than the typical international tourist. Domestic wellness tourists spend 177% more than the average domestic tourist.

Secondary wellness travelers account for 92% of all wellness trips and 90% of wellness tourism expenditures meaning that wellness will be a vital aspect of any leisure or business trip.

Spa revenues were growing by 8.7% annually prior to Pandemic but the sector is recovering fast to reach pre-pandemic levels and to around $151 billion in 2025.

Thermal/mineral springs revenues will recover quickly to pre-pandemic levels and will reach $90 billion in 2025. One should look at the potential in Kanniya, Madunagala, Wahawa, Kapurella, Nelumwewa etc provided they are managed with standards.

The healthy eating, nutrition, & weight loss sector grew from $912 billion in 2019 to $946 billion in 2020 despite the pandemic. Many Sri Lankan Hoteliers have already gone into organic farming in response to this.

Primary Wellness tourism entails travel for specific wellness experience such as Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda or combining any of these. Therefore, one aspect that drives future wellness tourism is the desire for customized experiences. 

Secondary wellness tourism involves trips where wellness is not the primary motivation for the trip, but where wellness affects some choices and activities because the traveler would like to maintain good health and/or their wellness lifestyle during the trip.

Naturally, similar to the pioneers in Ayurvedic Tourism hospitality sector in Sri Lanka, the DMCs are also expected to design tailored wellness programs that cater to their specific needs and preferences. It may be rejuvenating spa retreat, a mindfulness-focused nature retreat, or a fitness-centric adventure that are depicted in personalized wellness itineraries.

The article written by Penny Watson to ‘Traveller’ in the ‘Sydney Morning Held’, under the title ‘How Bali became the world’s best place to rejuvenate and relax’ is well justified its contents. 

Bali is one destination that foresaw and benefitted from rising wellness tourism by swiftly moving from traditional beach holiday, to holistic rejuvenation through combined therapies like Usada, Yoga, Spa Therapy and Meditation. 

There are two aspects that the destinations need to bear in mind when taking wellness on board for tourism. a) offering authentic products and services and b) ability to tailor them to suit the visitor experience including family packages that will strengthen family bonds and create lasting memories centered around well-being.

Sri Lanka carries added values such as nature and culture that will perfectly blend with Wellness programs with efforts being made to uplift the industry from where it is now.

*The writer is former Diplomat, Tourism Official, EU Wellness tourism expert and a lecturer for ECU

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